John August

Drew Marquardt

The On-Set Producer

Episode - 678

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Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig welcome producer Dan Etheridge (iZombie, High Potential, Party Down) to look at how non-writing producers develop projects, coordinate across departments, and maintain the tone of the show as directors come and go.

We offer practical tips for making the most of video village, regardless of your role, and solutions for the scourge of directors chairs.

Highland Pro, John’s next generation screenwriting app is now available now for Mac, iPad and iPhone! We discuss what’s new and what’s coming next.

We also answer listener questions pitching multiple projects, writing on tablets and how to launch an app.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John, Craig and Dan look back on their experience officiating weddings, and offer advice for those about to marry people. Dan even officiated John’s wedding!

Links:

Email us at ask@dev.johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 3-21-25: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

Featured Friday: Puzzle Boxes

Weekend Read

Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week.

This week, we look at puzzle box series to see how they craft their mind-bending mysteries, use their unknowns to heighten character drama, and structure clues to keep the audience dying to know what the hell is really going on.

Our collection includes:

  • Lost – “Pilot”
  • Severance – “The We We Are”
  • The Leftovers – “Pilot”
  • The Man in the High Castle – “Pilot”
  • Twin Peaks – “Northwest Passage”
  • Westworld – “The Bicameral Mind”
  • Yellowjackets – “Pilot”

Read these and other featured collections only on Weekend Read 2, available on all Mac and iOS devices. Download for free!

Puzzle Box Storytelling

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig decipher mystery box shows, where the premise and audience experience involve solving the puzzle of what’s really happening. They look at strategies for revealing clues and information, being mindful of the audience’s expectations, and the importance of the emotional journey inside the labyrinth.

We also announce a new video game, discuss what we can learn by revisiting old projects, follow up on unlocked pages and home automation, and answer listener questions on live instruments, pulling story from D&D campaigns, and where to draw the line between INT. and EXT.

In our bonus segment for premium members, how do you set boundaries when you feel like you’re always supposed to be writing? That’s not rhetorical — we need help.

Links:

Email us at ask@dev.johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 3-17-25: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

Featured Friday: Cults

Weekend Read

Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week.

This week, we look at the destructive power of cults, how they can disrupt and alter our characters, and the charismatic, megalomaniacal leaders that wield their power.

Our collection includes:

  • Hereditary by Ari Aster
  • Mandy by Panos Cosmatos and Aaron Stewart-Ahn
  • Martha Marcy May Marlene by Sean Durkin
  • Midsommar by Ari Aster
  • Strange Angel – “Augurs of Spring” by Mark Heyman
  • Suspiria by David Kajganich
  • The Following – “Pilot” by Kevin Williamson
  • The Master by Paul Thomas Anderson
  • The Path – “Pilot” by Jessica Goldberg
  • The Wolf of Wall Street by Terence Winter
  • Waco – “Chapter 1: The Strangers Across the Street” by John Erick Dowdle & Drew Dowdle

Read these and other featured collections only on Weekend Read 2, available on all Mac and iOS devices. Download for free!